NYIFC Comments:
It took a lot of unexpected things since summer 2008 in Vail, Colorado to arrive at this very sad day, including a change in the new CBA that does not permit the buyout of injured players, which does not explain if insurance would have paid his full contract, removing his cap hit under the old cba if he were hurt prior to January 2013 which has always been my contention?

This new CBA hides many details from the public. Washington took Michael Nylander's cap hit to play in Europe a few
years ago, but Visnovsky in January-Feb did not count against the Islanders
cap until he finally arrived back in North America?
Garth Snow said Rick DiPietro is healthy? Why not find a place for him to play anywhere so that process can continue unless the new CBA negates that? This also means the Islanders have to replace 4.5m in salary against their payroll for the Wang only wants to reach the floor payroll club? So much for them.
I'm very disappointed, however it was hardly a surprise. What was the point risking him play eighteen games in forty nine days or even go to Islanders camp in January, unless it was his comments upon demotion or something else is the real issue?

I can see DiPietro telling management he was not going to the ECHL so prospects can play for Bridgeport.

I hope a team finds a place for Rick DiPietro. Based on how he played in Bridgeport, it seems he's finally healthy with the long-term potential of regaining an NHL spot, and only needs a lot of work.

Since 2001-02, I never read one negative word from a fan he met from Bridgeport to this day. He was a first class individual with the public, who only wanted to bring the New York Islanders a Stanley Cup, who did not take a front-loaded contract to stay where the risk was on him long-term to play which we see now because unlike Brad Richards he did not demand 42m of his 68m be in his bank account after only two years. (36m after lockout)

Sure some of the smaller media minds do not like the New York Islanders signing longer term deals, despite many deals being far worse for healthy players, who had to be bought out on corporate teams that cause lockouts.

Rick DiPietro was the one who wanted to be here his entire career long before 2006, and bring the cup home to New York, who did leave money on the table, who just lost a lot of it for his loyalty, after five years on injuries/rehab.

It's not a good day, players now rarely display that kind of locality.

Likely Rick DiPietro's last video interview from a news network on 3/20/13

RDP 32013:"If I did not think I could get back to where I was or better
I'm not kind of person who wants to continue to just hold on."

Never read a negative word from a teammate he was in a locker room with.

This puts more pressure on Garth Snow to resign Nabokov, or find a comparable goaltender.